Splicing-tool.



'110. 799,199. 9111111113911 MAY 9,1995.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1903.

11m M "y,

. Caffe I UNITEl STATES Patented May 9, 1905.

PATENT l OFFICE.

CHARLES L. WICKHAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO VVES'IERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, I ILLINOIS.

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SPLlClNG-TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,193, dated May 9, 1905. Application led April 27, 1903. Serial No. 154,448.

My invention relates to a splicing-tool; andits object is to provide a device by which two ends of paper tapesuch asis used irl-insulating electric cables, maybe quickly and effect-y ively spliced together.

The tool which I have invented is capable of making a splice by simply closing its jaws vupon the overlapped ends of the tape without further manipulation of the tape beyond a slight pull upon the two ends to set the splice. So far as I am aware, this is the first tool by which a splice can thus be made in one operation without further manipulation of the tape'.

I will describe my invention by reference y to the accompanying drawings, in which- .fis

Figure l is a perspective view of my splicing-tool. Fig. 2 shows the jaws closed upon two overlapped ends of paper tape. Fig. 3 shows the jaws opened again with the paper sticking to the teeth of one of said jaws. Fig.

4 is avplan View of the jaw which carries the cutting-teeth. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the opposed jaws. Fig. 6 shows the overlapped ends of the tape after they have been cut, with the tongues bent out or displaced. Fig. 7 is a similar View showing the tongues on one 'tape end iuterlocked with the tongues formed in the slots -in the other tape end, andl of suitable arms or handles c c, which are pivoted together at CZ. A spring a may be pro- Vlded to keep the jaws normally open. On one of the jaws b slanting teeth b are provided, which are adapted to enter corresponding holes a ct in the other jaw in such a way that the overlapped ends of the paper tape placed between said jaws will be given a series of cuts to form tongues, the tongues of one tape end being adapted to interlock with the slots left by the displacement of the tongues in the other tape end. The splice may be set by simply pulling the ends of the tape, because the teeth of the splicing-tool not only make the cuts necessary to form the interlocking tongues, but their slanting faces also bend out these tongues, as shown in Fig.- 6, and enter the tongues of one tape end in the slots of the other.

The teeth may be given various forms; but the construction which I have found most sat.- isfactory is that shown in Figs. l, 3, and 5. As seen in plan the form of each tooth is rectangular, exactly fitting a rectangular slot in the opposing jaw. As seen in elevation, Fig.

5, the projecting portion of the tooth is in the form ofA a right-angled triangle, the hypotenuse whereof cooperates with the longitudinal edges of the slots in the upper jaw to form a shear. The cuts.. forming the sides of the tongues are made by these longitudinal shear edges. The cross-cut between the corresponding ends of the longitudinal cuts is formed by the projecting edge ofthe end of thetooth coperating with the corresponding edge of the hole in the other jaw to form a shear; A V-shaped channel b2 is preferably cut longitudinally in the top or face of each tooth, whereby sharp points are formed at the corners of the tooth to` perforate the paper more easily.. Said channels also form sharp beveled cutting edges, as shown. I preferably provide siX'teeth in a row, as shown, the 1 height of the teeth being gradually increased from one end of the row to the other, so that all the teeth will not make the initial perforation at the same time. By this means the cutting operatioumay be performed more easily.

i I have 'shown the jaws ab sharpened or brought to a point at one end, whereby the vss rsuperfluous end of one Ioi the pieces of tape are overlapped and placed between the jaws,

whereupon the jaws areclosedtogether, as shown in Fig. 2. This perforates both pieces of tape e f in such a way as to form a row of tongues e f therein and also bends these tongues up, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3, so that the tongues e of the' strip e. are actually entered in the slots formed by the cutting of the tongues f in the strip f. The jaws being opened, the ta-pe is disengaged therefrom and the splice set by simply pull-v ing upon the tape end@2 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. 1n this way the tongues c are interlocked with the slots in the tape f, forming the complete splice, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. l

Having thus described my invention, -I claim 1. A splicing-tool Tor paper tape compris# ing twojaws mounted in opposition upon pivoted handles, one of said jaws having a series of angular holes cut clear `through said jaw and opening at theback thereof, the other jaw having a series of corresponding angular teeth cooperating with the edges of said holes to form shears, each of said teeth being triangular in elevation, forming a sharp cutting edge at one end which first engages the tape, whereby free angularly-d nrojecting'- tongues may be cnt upon the overiapped ends of paper tape placed between said jaws, and the `tongues on one tape end entered in the slots formed by the displacement of the tongues of the other tape end.

2. A tape-splicing tool comprising two opposed fiat jaws a, b, one of said jaws having a series of holes a in its face and the other jaw having a corresponding series of teeth adapted to enter said holes, the face of each tooth slanting upward from the surface of the jaw to the top of the tooth and having a groove or channel b2 therein, whereby sharp beveled shear edges are formed adapted toiorm angularly'- projecting superposed tongues upon the overlapped tape ends placed between said jaws.

3. A tape-splicing tool comprisinga pair of opposing iat jaws, one of'said jaws having a series of holes in the face thereof and the other jaw having a corresponding series of sl-anting teeth adapted to enter said holes, said teeth 'being of different heights, substantially as set forth. y

4. 'A splicing-tool for paper tape comprising two opposed jaws adapted to be `closed together upon the overlapped ends of the tape, one of said jaws havinga series of holes in its face and the other jaw having a corresponding series of teeth adapted to enter said holes and cut interlocking tongues and slots therein, said jaws being sharpened at their ends substantially as described, whereby the superfluous tape may be torn off to makea neat splice.vv 1

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 28th day of March, A. D. 1903.

cHARLEs L. wioKHAM.'

Witnesses: l

R. F. HALL, v C. EAMPBELL. 

